New Work

Subaru Unveils Two New Safety Ads

Published on October 4th, 2016

Nothing says love quite like twisted steel and shredded tires.

Wrecked cars, and their understandably shaken and contrite teenage drivers, appear in Carmichael Lynch’s latest work for Subaru, which focuses on the automaker’s safety record as part of its long-running and highly successful “Love” campaign.

In “I’m Sorry,” a spot breaking today in 60- and 30-second edits, everyone walks away with minimal physical damage. Still, it makes us wonder if Mom and Pop will give these kids the keys again any time soon.

“We used real Subaru vehicles that were in real crashes,” Brian Cavallucci, client national advertising manager, tells AdFreak, “and while there is always a risk in spots like this, we did our best to depict accidents that were representative of real-life scenarios.”

Subaru has driven down this road before, showing horribly crashed cars in “They Lived,” a memorable ad from 2014 that also touted safety. Real stories from Subaru drivers inspired both that work and the current “I’m Sorry” commercial.

“We get letters and emails sent to us, directly from our owners, with stories and pictures from vehicle crashes that they survived,” often escaping “with nothing but bumps and bruises,” says Cavallucci. “They send these in to thank Subaru for building safe cars that protected them, and their loved ones.”

Another new spot, “Take the Subaru,” employs a much lighter tone to convey the safety message, as kids reach for potentially dangerous items, only to be thwarted by their parents every time.

A spear gun and blow torch? Sounds like one heck of a Show & Tell!

Directed by The Corner Shop’s Peter Thwaites, both spots are a tad edgy—”I’m Sorry” obviously far more so than its comedic counterpart—especially with young people front and center, and the notion of crashes hanging in the air.

That tension gives the brand’s familiar “Love” refrain some relatable dimension and extra emotional depth. And it’s refreshing to see a carmaker get under viewers’ skin, and perhaps, grind their gears a bit, rather than sticking in neutral with happy-smiley advertising that doesn’t take any chances.

“Our owners love their Subaru vehicles for a variety of reasons,” Cavallucci says. “In moments when they have been in an accident, or someone they love has been in an accident, and their Subaru kept them safe, that is a moment that causes them to love their Subaru even more.”